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W.-L. RICHARDSON-f Level.

No. 60,788. Patented Jan. 1, 1867.

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"WILLIAM L. RICHARDSON, or READING, MASSACHUSETTS, nssrclvor. o

HIMSELF AND F. E. NUTTIN FLORENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

' Letters Patent No. 60,788, dated January 1, '1867.

IMPROVEMENT in LEVELS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. RICHARDSON, of Reading, Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLevelling Instruments; and'I do hereby declare thatthe following is afull and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.In the drawings Figure 1 represents a side view, with partial sectionsof my invention;

Figures 2 and 3 being detailedviews of parts of the same.

My invention consists of various improvements in levelling instruments,whereby they are rendered more perfect in operation, andin some casesmore adapted to peculiar work. Fig. 1 shows a view of a. level havingall my improvements, this one being designed, however, for masons work.,In this it will be seen that the ball A makes the joint between theinstrument and the tripod, working in the socket formed by the plate Band nut C,

has the plummet-line attached to its centre instead of a point on thesurface,-and a small space,D, is left around the line so as to allow itsome play. As these lines have been attached heretofore, the point onthe ground upon which theplummet fell when dropped was necessarily asmuch out of the centre of the instrument as the point of surface whereit was-attached happened to be thrown out from a perpendicular droppedfrom the centre of the ball. From this ball extends upwards a shaft, E,upon which wprks a clamp, F, consisting of a collar having threads cutonthe inside, and working on threads corresponding out upon the shaft E.This clamp screws down upon the top of the nutQ-bringing the wholeinstrument in the same straight line when such is done. Working upon thetop part of the shaft E, is a cylinder, R, having the plate G upon it,on which are placed two spirit levels in tubes at right angles to eachother. This cylinder extends above the end of the shaft E, leaving asocket for the stud H, In the lower part of the cylinder R is aset-screw, a, which clamps the cylinder to the shaft, and in the upperpart is another set-screw, b, the end of which is pointed so as to fitinto grobves c, d, and e, cut in the stud H. These grooves are outlengthwise,-and exactly quarter the surface of the stud, so that byturning the instrument around one-quarter, and screwing the screw 6 intothe groove, thus setting it,an exact right angle can be obtained to thefirst line of sight. The tube S of this level, corresponding'to thetelescope used in the instrument adapted 'to surveying, is made simplyof a hollow cylinder, R,'having hairs crossed at one end, and a smallsight-hole at the other, both arranged in caps which screw on the endsof the tube. It is mounted upon a frame, L, which may be taken off fromthe rest of the instrument, and used as an ordinary. level or plumb forbuilders work, it havinga reversible spirit-level, M, set in the centreand arranged as follows: The tube containing the bubble is set in acircular plate, N, having flanges at its circumference, and working in acorresponding circular bed in the frame. A spring,' O, presses upon theedge" of this, it being fastened at one end upon the frame, and preventsit from turning unless desired. This spring has a projection upon it,which fits in notches cut in the circumference of the plate N,quartering it so that-the line of the levelmay be brought either exactlyat right angles, or parallel to the face of the frame at P. The use ofthis as a plumb is shown in fig. 3, where the level is brought aroundat'right angles to the face P. The lower part of this instrument may beadapted with advantage to any instrument used for levelling or similarpurposes, and'set upon a tripod; while the upper par-t, consisting ofthe frame with--its reversible level, forms an admirable instrument formasons and builders, both in plumbing and levelling, it being easilydetached from the rest of the instrument.

New, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto-secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A ball joint, having the plu'mmet-lineattached to the centre of theball, substantially-as and for th purpose described.

2. The stud H, having the grooves a, d, 0, arranged with the set-screw15, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The tubes, mounted upon the frame L, and having the reversible levelM arranged as described, and being detachable from the rest of theinstrument, so that it can be used as a masons level and plumb,substantially as described.

W. L. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

J. B. Gsnnnvnn, EDWARD H. HYDE.

